Deadly Iran Strike on Israeli Synagogue Kills 9 as Rescue Teams Search for Missing; Gaza Crossings Shut Amid Expanding War

Israeli police said Sunday they were continuing a large-scale search operation for 11 missing people after an Iranian missile struck a synagogue in the central Israeli town of Beit Shemesh, killing at least nine people and wounding 45 in the deadliest single attack inside Israel since the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran a day earlier, marking a sharp escalation in a rapidly widening regional war. 

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The missile impact destroyed parts of the religious complex and surrounding structures, triggering emergency rescue efforts as first responders combed debris for survivors hours after the strike, authorities said, while security officials warned that casualty figures could still change as search operations continued.

The attack unfolded amid intensifying exchanges of missiles and drones between Iran and Israel following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.–Israeli airstrikes, an event that has reshaped the conflict’s trajectory and pushed multiple fronts across the Middle East toward instability. 

Israeli police confirmed that rescue teams remained on site through the day attempting to locate those unaccounted for, underscoring the scale of destruction caused by the strike in Beit Shemesh, a city located west of Jerusalem.

According to reporting by the Associated Press, the synagogue strike represents the deadliest attack on Israeli territory since the current phase of hostilities began, highlighting how Iran’s retaliation has increasingly struck civilian areas alongside military targets. 

Loud explosions were heard across parts of central Israel as air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles, though officials acknowledged that some missiles penetrated defenses.

The violence has also triggered immediate humanitarian consequences beyond Israel’s borders. In Gaza, Israel closed all crossings into the territory following the escalation, prompting widespread fear among Palestinians of renewed shortages after months of blockade conditions last year pushed parts of the enclave toward famine. 

Residents, according to AP, reported rushing to markets to stockpile food and essential supplies amid concerns that aid deliveries could again be disrupted, with civilians warning that price spikes and scarcity could quickly follow border closures affecting more than two million people living in the strip.

Diplomatic fallout widened simultaneously across Europe and the broader international arena. France announced it would postpone an international conference aimed at strengthening Lebanon’s security forces, with President Emmanuel Macron’s office saying regional conditions no longer allowed the meeting to proceed safely. 

Macron scheduled an emergency security consultation as governments reassessed risks stemming from the expanding confrontation between Iran, Israel and the United States.

In Washington, political leaders signaled expectations of a prolonged campaign. Senator Tom Cotton, chair of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, said the ongoing airstrike operations against Iran could continue for weeks, while emphasizing that no large-scale American ground deployment was planned. 

The remarks reflected growing indications that the conflict may evolve into a sustained aerial confrontation rather than a short-term military exchange.

Global divisions sharpened as Russia and China jointly criticized the U.S. and Israeli strikes, calling them violations of international law and announcing plans to coordinate responses through multilateral institutions including the United Nations Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency.